


Jagged Stone: On Tour (Internships Now Open)

by parisique



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Never Went to Public School, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe- Interns, Basically Jagged Goes On Tour, F/M, Human Kwami, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, and Marinette and Adrien and Luka Are Interns, shenanigans ensue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27084739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parisique/pseuds/parisique
Summary: This is going to be Marinette’s summer. She’s expecting 3 months of interning with Gabriel Agreste and late-night phone calls with her boyfriend, Luka, who's going away on tour with Jagged Stone.But not everything will go to plan, and between a proposal gone off the rails, two mildly chaotic bosses, and three unexpected bunkmates, at least it'll be interesting....Inspired by Legally Blonde: the Musical
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Plagg & Tikki, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Vivica (Desperada), Penny Rolling/Jagged Stone
Comments: 52
Kudos: 38





	1. Summer

“Alright, everyone,” Mme. Bustier said, well aware that none of the students were paying attention, “make sure your lockers are cleaned out before you go, and don’t forget that you’ll have a substitute teacher for a few months when we get back.”

As the teacher continued to rattle off reminders, the class kept their eyes on the clock above the chalkboard. The second hand ticked on, marking the passing of another minute - only one left until the bell rang, releasing them for the summer.

“Okay, then,” Mme. Bustier continued, glancing at the clock, “that’s about all I’ve got for you -”

The shrill sound of the bell cut her off, and everyone jumped to their feet, gathering their things.

“Bye, Mme. Bustier!”

“Have a nice summer!”

“See you in September - err, I mean, October!”

Their teacher waved them out with a smile, returning their salutations.

“It’s finally summer,” Rose squealed as they walked into the hallway. Juleka smiled down at her.

“Hey, we’re all still on for tonight, right?” Alya turned around to make sure that Mylène, Rose, and Juleka all nodded before turning to her best friend with a semi-threatening gaze.

“Of course,” Marinette reassured her, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world - it  _ is _ mine and Luka’s last date before he leaves for the tour.”

“Good,” Alya nodded, linking her arm through Marinette’s, “then, to the locker room, girls!”

Their group of five made their way through the crowds of students hurrying to leave the building. After grabbing the last of their things from the locker room, they joined the flow of people heading for the front doors.

“Hey, girls,” Nino said as he and Ivan fell into step beside them. He snuck a kiss to Alya’s cheek, slinging his arm around her shoulder before he continued, “Are all of you coming tonight?” When everyone nodded, Nino grinned. “Great!”

They had reached the bottom of the steps at this point, and Alya ducked out from under her boyfriend’s arm. “See you tonight,” she said, blowing him a kiss as the girls and the boys went their separate ways. Ivan kissed Mylène’s forehead, and she beamed at him before the girls headed across the street towards the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie.

“I’m so excited for tonight,” Marinette said as they moved through the bakery, sending her parents quick greetings.

“Any particular reason?” Alya raised a brow at her, hefting the strap of her overnight bag further up her shoulder. “I mean, I get that it’s the last time you’ll be seeing Luka until he gets back from the tour and all, but you’re not  _ excited _ about him leaving?”

“No, I think ...” Marinette stopped to open the front door of her family’s apartment, ushering her friends in before closing it and looking around dramatically before leaning in. “I think he might be proposing tonight,” she said in a hushed whisper, before adding, “well, not proposing, but like, a promise ring, or something like that.”

“Oh my god,” Alya burst, dropping her bags on the floor to hug Marinette.

“This is so great,” Rose squealed, “it would be so romantic!”

“Wow,” Mylène added, “it  _ would _ be really fitting!”

“I don’t know anything for sure, though,” Marinette told them as she led them up to her room, “it might not be tonight.”

“Are you crazy,  _ of course _ it’s going to be tonight,” Alya said, “he’s just graduated, and he’s about to leave for the entire summer - why wouldn’t he propose, or promise-prose, or whatever?”

“And at our monthly triple-double-date together, too,” Mylène added.

“I still can’t believe we didn’t think to pair the two seventh wheels up sooner,” Alya shook her head, and then, upon seeing Marinette’s room, “whoa.”

The usually somewhat neat room was in a total disarray, fabric covering every available space. The doors to Marinette’s wardrobe had been flung wide open, and only a few articles of clothing remained on their hangers.

“I was trying to find the perfect outfit for tonight,” Marinette sighed, setting her schoolbag down on her desk chair. “But I think I need help.”

“We’d be glad to,” Rose chirped, reaching for a cream-coloured dress at the top of a nearby pile. “What about this one?”

“Mm, too bridal,” Marinette said.

“How about this?” Mylène held up a white t-shirt and a pair of pink overall shorts.

“Too casual,” Marinette shook her head.

And so it went - Juleka offered a red skirt paired with a black sweater, Mylène found an orange bomber jacket and some dark jeans, Rose dug out a pink dress. Each of the options wasn’t the perfect outfit Marinette was searching for.

It wasn’t until Alya emerged from a pile of clothes with a crow of victory, holding a blue dress aloft for them to see, that the search ended. The moment Marinette saw it, she leapt to her feet.

“Yes, that’s the one,” she cried, and a cheer went up as the girls ushered her into the bathroom, urging her to try it on.

Marinette wore the dress beautifully - one of her own creations, it flowed down to her knees and the dark blue of the fabric was offset by the silver embellishments she’d added.

As the rest of the girls had gotten dressed during the hunt for Marinette’s perfect outfit, they were quick to lead her over to the vanity, sitting her down and pulling out makeup and hairties.

By the time they had to leave and meet up with the boys, the girls all looked stunning. They tried to get Marinette’s room back in order and passed through the bakery again, waving goodbye to Tom and Sabine.

Nino, Ivan, and Luka were going to meet them at the Trocadero so they could all hunt down André and his magical ice cream cart together. As usual, Nino had ditched his cap, the one time a month he was without it, opting for a green hoodie instead. Ivan had on a flannel, which usually ended up around Mylène’s shoulders before the night was over. And Luka had on a blue button-down instead of his usual band t-shirt, his guitar nowhere to be seen.

As their eyes met, Luka pulled his hands out of his pockets to push himself off the wall he’d been leaning against. Marinette felt as if a magnetic force pulled her closer to him, and when they reached one another, Luka placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Hi,” he said, smiling down at her softly.

“Hey,” she smiled back.

It took them half an hour to track André down to the Pont des Arts. As always, he beamed upon catching sight of them.

“My favourite dates of the month,” he called, making sure that no other couples were within earshot, “who’s first? Step right up!”

Chocolate, praline, and white nougat for Ivan and Mylène, coconut, banana, and passionfruit for Nino and Alya, pineapple, cookie dough, and marzipan for Juleka and Rose, and blueberry, vanilla, and candy floss for Luka and Marinette. They took their cones and went to sit on the edge of the pavement, dangling their legs above the Seine. The sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in a soft golden glow.

Marinette had just taken her first spoonful of ice cream when Luka turned to her. “Marinette, I have something I’d like to say.”

“Of course, Luka,” Marinette said, smiling at him. “You can talk to me about anything.”

“I think you know what’s coming,” Luka began, “I can see it in your eyes - I like that we’ve always been on the same page.” Marinette nodded encouragingly. “For a while now, the song of our hearts has been changing. The rest of our lives are going to be starting soon - I’m going on tour this summer, and you’ve got that internship with that fashion house.” 

“And I’m ready,” Marinette beamed.

Luka took one of her hands in his, breathing deeply before he looked right into her eyes and said, “I think we should break up.”

Marinette’s sunny smile froze before starting to slide off her face. “...What?”

“I don’t think a long-distance relationship would work for us,” Luka said as Marinette’s hand fell out of his. “And - and I don’t want to keep you waiting all summer - you should be free to go after your dreams, not sitting around for me.”

“I,” Marinette began, but then she floundered for something else to say. “I … I thought you were proposing.”

A brief look of shock passed over Luka’s face before he blinked and slowly shook his head. “I … you didn’t … know this was coming?”

“No,” she breathed.

“Marinette,” Luka said, his brows beginning to furrow.

“Luka, I’m in love with you,” Marinette pleaded, but he only shook his head again.

As he reached out to touch her shoulder, Marinette leapt to her feet and fled.


	2. Paris

The bell above the door jingled merrily, marking the entrance of another customer.

“Welcome to the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie,” Marinette called out, mustering a small smile for the woman.

“Hi,” the lady chirped, walking up to the counter, “Ooh, those macarons look really good.”

“They are,” Marinette said. She’d gone through countless boxes after Luka broke up with her, moping around her room while Alya tried to cheer her up.

“Hmm,” the lady said, leaning over to examine all the colourful pastries. Marinette thought that her bright mop of red hair seemed to fit her chipper personality. “Can I have two boxes of the pistachio, please?”

“Sure, let me just -” Marinette froze when she caught sight of the lady’s outfit - a black hoodie over a t-shirt advertising Jagged Stone’s tour.

‘“Oh,” the lady said, noticing Marinette’s sudden staring, “I’m one of the intern coordinators for Jagged’s tour.”

Marinette nodded silently - she hadn’t given much thought to the ticket she’d purchased earlier that year, back when she was expecting to reunite with her boyfriend -  _ ex _ -boyfriend - at her favourite artist’s show.

“Hey, you look old enough to apply,” the lady was saying, “are you 16?” At Marinette’s nod, she continued, “Great! We still have a few intern positions open, we’d love to have you!”

“I - Do you, I mean … Are there any wardrobe internships?” Marinette breathed, the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind.

“Yes, you’re welcome to apply,” the lady beamed, “here -” she reached into her purse and pulled out a card “- take my card! I’m Tikki, nice to meet you!”

Marinette shook Tikki’s hand, carefully tucking the card into her pocket. “I’m Marinette - oh! Your macarons, I’m so sorry!”

Tikki smiled kindly as Marinette rushed to grab a bag, filling it with the two boxes of pistachio macarons and ringing up her purchase.

“It was nice to meet you, I hope to see you on tour,” Tikki said as she traded her bills for a receipt and her change.

“Thank you - you, too,” Marinette said, smiling widely as she watched Tikki’s red hair disappear out the door. Gabriel Agreste could wait until next year - there were more important things, and besides, an internship was still an internship, be it at a maison or on a tour, right?

One week later found Marinette at the stadium where Jagged Stone was performing the first show of his tour. The email she’d received had said that an intern coordinator would meet her at the front, but no one was there, so Marinette decided to venture further into the stadium.

She was immediately surrounded by chaos - a tall, purple-haired lady stood in the middle of it all, yelling things through a megaphone. Marinette briefly wondered if having coloured hair was a requirement on the tour before deciding she had bigger problems, namely the fact that she was about to be crushed by three different carts of speakers, guard rails, and water. She jumped out of the way as the purple-haired lady continued to yell.

“Lights, move the blue spotlight more to the left,” she yelled, aiming her megaphone at the rafters above the stage, and then, turning to the general chaos around her, “Make sure the railings are in a straight line! Water cart, watch out for the girl! Girl, move!”

Looking around, Marinette realised that another cart of water was headed straight for her. Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed onto her arm and gently pulled her out of the way as the water cart whizzed past and the purple-haired lady turned back to yell at another pressing issue.

“Sorry for just grabbing you like that,” a voice said, and Marinette turned to face the person who’d saved her from death by water cart. The boy was blond, and handsome enough to be a model, with a nice bone structure and a soft, boyish smile. “Are you one of the other interns?”

“Yes,” Marinette nodded, “I’m Marinette, in wardrobe.”

“I’m Adrien,” the boy said, offering his hand, “I’m a music intern.”

“What instrument do you play?” Marinette asked as they shook hands.

“Piano,” Adrien said, “I was here last year, too. Is this your first time?” Marinette nodded. “I’m guessing Plagg still wasn’t at the front,” he chuckled.

“Plagg - is he one of the intern coordinators?” Marinette asked.

“Yeah, he and Tikki, they’re like our bosses throughout the summer,” Adrien nodded. “He’s probably gone to get cheese or something, he’s kind of easily distracted - but he’s still really fun. You can follow me and I’ll show you where to drop off your bags?”

“That'd be great, thanks,” Marinette smiled, but before either of them could take a step, Marinette caught sight of Tikki.

She was dragging a taller man behind her, her face scrunched into a scowl as she led him along. The man, who was holding a plate of cheese slices, was scowling right back at her.

“Plagg,” Marinette heard her scolding as she drew closer to them, “I told you not to go wandering off!”

“It’s fine,” the man, Plagg, said, “Look, Pigtails made it alright, still in one shape - she even found the kid! Hey, kid!”

“Hi, Plagg,” Adrien said, waving at him and sending Marinette a look that said,  _ see what I meant? _

“Marinette, I’m so glad you made it,” Tikki said, smiling at her, “this is Plagg, the other intern coordinator - who will now lead you to the intern bus and then take you and Adrien directly to where you’re supposed to be, right, Plagg?”

“Yes, Tikki,” Plagg huffed, rolling his eyes. As Tikki walked away, he motioned for Adrien and Marinette to follow him. “C’mon, this way.”

He led them through the building and out into the parking lot behind the stadium, where a small fleet of buses was parked. Plagg walked onto the third bus from the left end, Adrien and Marinette following him.

“This is the intern bus,” Plagg explained, walking through two sections of bunks. “Here we have boys’ bunks, more boys’ bunks, the kitchen, the sofa, the bathroom, another bathroom, and the girls’ bunks. Find the bed with your name on it and leave your bags in the compartment.”

Marinette’s bunk was at the back of the bus, in the last “room” of bunks. She bent down to stuff her two suitcases into the compartment below her bunk before meeting up with Plagg and Adrien outside.

“Okay, let’s get you off to wardrobe and music,” Plagg said, taking them back through the stadium. As they went, he munched on his cheese slices and dropped tidbits of information.

“That’s where the bathrooms are for this stadium - the stadiums in Paris have lots of bathrooms, they’re really easy to find. Other places, not so much. Value the bathrooms, Pigtails.”

“That’s Penny - she’s the head honcho around here. Make sure you don’t piss her off, and you’ll be golden.”

“Catering’s through there - they have the best cheese crackers you will ever find. The gouda’s subpar, the camembert barely tolerable, but the rest is just,  _ ugh.” _

He stopped in front of a door with a paper taped to it that read “Wardrobe”. “Pigtails, this is your stop.” Knocking on the door, he pushed it open. “Nooroo, Duusu, your intern’s here!”

The door was flung open by a woman with a voluminous updo, a nervous-looking man hovering behind her. “Marinette?” At Marinette’s nod, the lady ushered her into the room and closed the door, rushing out an “OkaythanksPlagggoodbyewe’refinehereeverything'sgoinggreat!”   
  
“Oh, it’s wonderful you’re here,” the man said, smoothing down his purple blazer, “I’m Nooroo, and this is Duusu -” he gestured to the lady, who smiled “- and we’re the wardrobe department, and we lost Jagged’s jacket for tonight, so we need your help.”

“We have this rack that we put all of Jagged’s current tour outfits on,” Duusu said, gesturing towards a clothing rack with a red flag taped to it. “And we have all the other outfits ready to go except for tonight’s, which is kind of a huge problem!”

“It’s this jacket,” Nooroo said, showing Marinette a photo of Jagged on one of his past tours, wearing a blazer covered in scaly silver sequins. “We know it’s _ somewhere _ in here, but we don’t know where,  _ exactly.” _

“All the racks on this side are past tour outfits we can rework,” Duusu gestured towards the right side of the room, then the left. “Here, we have outfits we’re working on for future tours.” “The jacket should be on this side, but it might be on that side, but it might also be in the rack of current tour outfits,” Nooroo said, trying to point in three directions at once.

“I’ll take the current rack,” Duusu said, “Nooroo, you and Marinette can go through new outfits, and then we can all tackle the old tours?”

“Sounds good,” Nooroo said, and with that they dove into their work.

One hour and ten false alarms later, Nooroo, Duusu, and Marinette had moved on to the racks of Jagged’s old tour outfits. Marinette flipped past a red shirt, a pair of green plaid pants, a silver jacket, and a black coat before her brain caught up with her eyes.

“It’s here!”

Duusu and Nooroo looked up, their eyes wide.

“Yes,” Duusu cried, rushing forward to gingerly take the jacket from Marinette.

“Bump me,” Nooroo said, holding out his fist. Marinette tapped her knuckles to his as a knock came at the door.

“Hey, I’m here for Pigtails,” Plagg said, and Duusu pushed her out into the hall, Nooroo following them with the rack of outfits.

“See you later,” Nooroo said, Duusu waving as the wardrobe team wheeled Jagged’s outfits away. “Try not to get your eardrums blasted off!”

Standing beside Plagg were two people who Marinette assumed were some of her fellow interns.

“Hey,” said the girl, “I’m Reba, and this is Kyle. We’re with the hair and makeup team!” Reba tossed a flawless curl over her shoulder, shooting Marinette a friendly smile. Kyle waved.

“I’m Marinette, I’m with wardrobe,” Marinette replied, smiling and waving back at them.

“Oh, Marinette - your bunk is below mine, right?” Reba said, and Marinette nodded. “Oh, this is so awesome - we’re going to have so much fun this summer!”

“Pigtails, Eyeliner. Eyeliner, Curly. Curly, Pigtails. Introductions, done. Okay, c’mon, let’s go,” Plagg said, checking his wristwatch. “If I’m not on time, Tikki’s gonna take away my cheese stash again.”

Reba, Kyle, and Marinette exchanged slightly bemused glances before launching into conversation as Plagg led them backstage - apparently it was their first time interning for Jagged, too. Kyle had a makeup channel, and Reba could jump-rope 110 times in a row.

“Plagg!” Tikki’s familiar voice made their little group look up to where she was striding towards them, leading a group of three more interns. 

“Hey, Sugar Cube,” Plagg said, smiling at her as he leaned against a nearby speaker.

“Stop that,” Tikki said, making him stand up straight and pout at her. “Now,” she continued, turning to the interns, “tonight, you’ll get to watch the show from backstage, and then for future shows, you’ll be helping the teams you’re interning under, ok?” The interns all nodded. “Great, make sure to stay out of people’s way and have fun!” With that, she went to talk to Plagg, who was standing a few meters away.

“Hi,” Reba said to the new interns, “I’m Reba, and this is Kyle, and this is Marinette! Kyle and I are style interns, and Marinette’s in wardrobe!”

“I’m Lisa, and this is Thomas and Matthew - we’re all with the sound and lights crew.” As she spoke, Lisa pointed first to Thomas, who was wearing a blue shirt, then Matthew, who wore red.

“We’re twins,” Thomas and Matthew said in unison.

“Nice to meet you,” Marinette smiled.

One of the twins gasped, pointing past her, and the interns all turned to see Jagged walking towards them. His purple hair was flowing due to a large fan being wheeled past, he was rocking smokey, heavily lined eyes, and his guitar was slung across his torso.

“Jagged!” Penny was clacking towards Jagged rather fast for someone in heels. Jagged looked up at the sound of her voice and his face lit up.

“Penny!” He started waving at her, as if she wasn’t already walking towards him.

“Oh, my god,” Kyle breathed as Jagged flew past them to get to Penny, “I just breathed the same air as  _ Jagged Stone.” _

“Pinch me,” Thomas said, holding out his arm. Matthew did so, and Thomas yelped. “So, I’m not dreaming? This is real?”

“Oh, get over yourselves,” Lisa muttered, rolling her eyes as she snuck a glance at the rockstar.

But Marinette wasn’t focusing on Jagged like the other interns were - rather, she was looking at the small entourage of people following Jagged. First, a group of five people in sparkly silver leotards, probably the dancers, and then, five more people carrying instruments.  _ Luka. _

He didn’t seem to notice Marinette as he walked by, caught up in conversation with a swoopy-haired girl. Adrien waved at her as he passed, and Marinette waved back.

The rest of the night passed in a blur - screams filled the stadium as the doors were opened and the audience streamed in, filling the seats and waving signs and glowsticks in the air.

Clara Nightingale opened, and then Jagged began performing his set. His silver jacket sparkled under the lights, and the dancers did impressive somersaults and cartwheels across the stage.

Luka had a huge smile on his face as he pulsed to the beat and played his guitar, at times standing back-to-back with the swoopy-haired girl from earlier. His eyes swept out across the audience occasionally.

Halfway through the show, he glanced into the wings. His eyes met Marinette’s, and he froze, almost missing a note before tearing his eyes away and carrying on. Marinette couldn’t wipe away her smile for the rest of the night.


	3. Arras

Luka was avoiding her and Marinette knew it.

Ever since the first show, she’d only seen him from a distance - passing each other in the halls of whatever stadium they were currently stationed at, or sitting tables away at the restaurant when everyone went to dinner. Granted, it had only been two days, but still.

On the night before Jagged’s show in Arras, Marinette decided to confront him. The whole crew had gone to dinner together again, and Luka had sat two tables away, refusing to meet Marinette’s eye.

Marinette took a seat in the common area of the intern bus, across from the swoopy-haired guitarist Luka seemed to be friends with. The girl glanced up at Marinette before going back to her phone.

A few minutes later, Luka stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in his pyjamas and toweling his hair dry. He smiled at the swoopy-haired girl and sat down next to her, draping his arm around her shoulder before he looked up, caught sight of Marinette, and froze.

“Luka,” Marinette said, and the girl looked up at her, too.

“Ma-Ma-Marinette,” Luka stammered, and the girl now looked at him.

“Luka, who is this?” the girl said, and Luka withdrew his arm from around her shoulders.

“Um, Vivica, this is Marinette,” Luka said, gesturing between them.

“Hi,” Vivica said, waving, “you’re the wardrobe intern, right?”

Marinette nodded, “Yeah, and you’re -”

“Luka’s girlfriend,” Vivica said, nodding and turning her head to smile up at him.

The words  _ you’re one of the music interns _ died in Marinette’s throat. Was she hallucinating? Based on the look on Luka’s face, she probably wasn’t.

“Excuse me,” she murmured, rising to her feet. She moved through the boys’ bunks and stumbled off the bus, seeking fresh air.

“Marinette?” Tikki appeared out of nowhere, holding her clipboard and reaching for Marinette’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I,” Marinette said, “I - he’s - dating?”

“Let’s go this way,” Tikki said, brows furrowing. She led Marinette over to lean against the wall of the stadium. “What’s going on?”

“They’re  _ dating? _ ” Marinette exploded.

“Um,” Tikki said, seeming at a loss. “... Who?”

“Luka,” Marinette said, “and - and Vivica, and I - I ….”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” Tikki suggested.

So Marinette did - she spilled the entire story of how she’d met Luka during one of the Kitty Section rehearsals, and the instant spark they’d shared. How they’d fallen hard, and fast, and together, and within a week, they were going steady -  _ really _ steady. About the year-and-a-half they’d spent together, on dates with their friends and just the two of them, hanging out and sharing jokes and laughter and smiles and kisses. The dreadful last date, the unexpected breakup and the nonexistent proposal, and how she’d followed him on tour, to convince him that it was possible for them to be together, and then how she’d found out that he’d moved on.

“It’s true love, I’m sure of it,” Marinette told Tikki, “but he’s dating Vivica! Do you think it’s because I’m not - not  _ musical _ enough for him?”

“No,” Tikki said, slowly shaking her head, “I don’t think that’s it. I’m sure he likes you exactly as you are - maybe you should take this time to show Luka a different side of yourself. You said the two of you started dating immediately, right?” Marinette nodded, and Tikki went on, “Well, maybe you should take this time to become his friend instead of focusing on dating him.”

Marinette thought it over and decided that Tikki was right - maybe if she became friends with Luka, she could win him back by showing him that they were meant to be. “Thanks, Tikki,” Marinette said, and Tikki smiled at her.

“No problem, Marinette,” Tikki said, “I’m happy I could help. It’s getting pretty late, you should get some sleep - it’s going to be a long day tomorrow, with the show and all.”

“Okay, goodnight, Tikki,” Marinette said, and Tikki waved goodbye as she headed towards Plagg, who was leaning against the bus where he and Tikki slept.

Marinette climbed the steps of the intern bus, nodding to the bus driver. Luka had drawn the curtain across his bunk already, probably asleep, but Adrien was still awake, sitting on the edge of his bunk.

“Hi, Marinette,” he said, smiling up at her.

“HI, Adrien,” Marinette returned.

“How’re you finding the tour so far?” He asked, exuding such joy that Marinette couldn’t help but smile back.

“It’s been ok,” Marinette said, “How about you? It’s your second year touring with Jagged, right?”

“Yeah,” Adrien nodded, “It’s been pretty great. Trixx, the music director, is really awesome, music camp with him is always great. What’s it like working in wardrobe?”

“Nooroo and Duusu are pretty chaotic but they’re super nice, I’m learning a lot from them,” Marinette nodded, and then moved out of the way as the twins walked by, on their way to bed. “I should probably get to bed now.”

“Yeah, of course, sorry for keeping you,” Adrien said, “goodnight!”

“Goodnight, Adrien,” Marinette smiled, waving at him as she went down the hall.

Vivica was in the middle of drawing her own curtain closed when Marinette walked by. Their gazes met, and Vivica gave Marinette a tiny, tentative smile before pulling her curtain all the way closed.

Reba tapped Marinette on the shoulder, motioning towards Vivica’s closed bunk with her head and mouthing,  _ what’s up with that? _

Marinette shook her head and mouthed back,  _ I'll tell you later. _

Reba narrowed her eyes playfully but nodded as Marinette grabbed her pyjamas and headed for the bathroom.

That night, as the bus rumbled to life and began to move towards their next stop, Marinette sat in the empty common room and pulled out her phone, dialling her best friend.

Alya picked up almost immediately. “Hey, girl! How’s it going?”

“Hey, Alya,” Marinette said, “I’m-”

“Girl, what’s wrong?” Alya picked up on some of the false cheeriness in her voice. “Is everything ok?”

“It’s Luka,” Marinette began, and then, “he didn’t do anything, so don’t come down here and beat him up, everything’s fine. It’s just, well, you know how he’s been avoiding me?”

“Mmhm,” Alya hummed, and Marinette could just picture her nodding along.

“Well, I was going to confront him tonight -”

“You go, girl!”

Marinette smiled. “Thanks. I was going to confront him, and he was in the bathroom so I was waiting him out, but then he came out and there was this girl on the couch and he sat down next to her, and apparently she’s his girlfriend.”

“His  _ what?!” _

“ _ Shh, _ Alya, people are sleeping!”

“They can’t hear me through the phone, girl!”

“In Paris, too, Alya.”

“Oh, right -  _ sorry, Mom.” _ Marinette heard the faint mumbling of Alya’s mother’s voice. “ _ Yes, ok. Goodnight. _ Anyways, Marinette -  _ what?!”  _

“I don’t know,” Marinette said, “her name’s Vivica, and she plays guitar, and she’s got this swoopy ponytail -”

“What are you going to do about it?” Alya asked.

“Well, I talked with Tikki,” Marinette said, “and she said I should try being friends with Luka, and then he’d see me differently, and then he’ll fall in love with me again.”

“Ooh, not a bad plan,” Alya said, and then, “wait - she didn’t say anything about inter-intern dating? Like, interns dating each other?”

“There wasn’t anything against it in the rules we went over when we first started the tour,” Marinette shook her head. “I don’t think they mind, as long as it doesn’t affect our work or anything.”

“Interesting,” Alya mused, “maybe Nino and I should apply for next summer - then all of us can hang.”

“I saw some internships for press relations on the website when I applied,” Marinette said, “I’ll send you the link. How’s working with Mme. Chamack?”

“It’s great,” Alya said, “I’m learning so much - it’s so different in a real broadcasting studio! They let me write up the list of talking points the other day -  _ so cool.” _

“Wow,” Marinette tried to say, but she was interrupted by a yawn.

“It’s late,” Alya said, “oh my god, it’s already one in the morning?”

“Goodnight, Alya,” Marinette said, smiling at her friend’s antics. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“‘Night, Marinette,” Alya returned, “good luck with the whole Luka thing - it’s not a bad plan. Keep me updated!”

“I will.” After a few final goodbyes, Marinette and Alya hung up. 


	4. Maxéville

The discovery that Luka and Vivica were dating almost sent Marinette into another mope, but the talk with Tikki and calling Alya had helped. The Arras show had gone off without a hitch, leaving everyone in a good mood as they left for the next leg of the tour the following morning.

“So, what’s up with you and Vivica?” Reba dropped into the seat across from Marinette as she ate breakfast on the catering bus.

“She’s dating my ex-boyfriend,” Marinette said matter-of-factly, spooning more cereal into her mouth.

“Ooh,” Reba said, her brows rising. “Drama.”

“Kind of,” Marinette agreed, “but don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Reba said, “yikes. Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Marinette said, finishing with her food. “See you later?”

Reba nodded, and Marinette got up as one of the dancers, Faye, sat down next to Reba.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien said, walking up as Marinette dropped her tray off at the counter.

“Hi, Adrien,” Marinette returned as they began making their way off the bus, “how are you?”

“I’m great! Today’s our day off for us music interns, so I don’t have rehearsals - do you get days off?”

“I don’t think so,” Marinette said, “maybe, Nooroo and Duusu haven’t said anything about it. So what are you planning to do with your free time?”

“Probably practicing,” Adrien shrugged, holding the door to the stadium open for Marinette before following her inside.

“Practicing? But haven’t you already learned the whole set?”

“Well, yeah, but ...” Adrien raised a hand to the back of his neck. “I - I’ve kind of got nothing else to do, so ...”

“You can come hang out with me,” Marinette offered, “I’m sure Nooroo and Duusu won’t mind.”

“Oh,” Adrien said, seeming pleasantly surprised, “well, if you’re sure ...”

“Nooroo, Duusu,” Marinette said, poking her head into the room where they were stationed for the next couple of days, “is it okay if I bring a friend in while we work today?”

“That depends on who it is,” Duusu said, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head to one side dramatically.

“Yes, it’s fine,” Nooroo said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Okay, thanks.” Marinette opened the door all the way and led Adrien inside.

“Oh, my god,” Duusu shrieked, and Nooroo coughed as he gulped down his coffee too quickly. “Adrien!”

“Hi, Duusu -  _ oof _ ,” Adrien was crushed in a hug by the blue-haired woman, quickly turning his face away from her tall tower of hair. “Hi, Nooroo,” he wheezed, lifting his fist to bump it against Nooroo’s.

“Adrien - Duusu, let the boy go, he’s going to suffocate,” Nooroo, said, prying Duusu off the blond.

“Wait - you guys know each other?” Marinette asked, moving to close the door.

Nooroo nodded. “Yeah, we used to work -”

“Together,” Adrien filled in, “we worked together on photoshoots and things a while back.”

“Oh, yes, our little model’s all grown up,” Duusu said, reaching up to pat Adrien’s cheek. He blushed.

“You’re a model?” Marinette wondered, and Adrien nodded.

“It’s only part-time, when I can fit it in between school and everything else,” he shrugged.

“Wow,” Marinette said, coming to stand at the cutting table situated in the middle of the room. “Nooroo, what are we working on today?”

“New tour outfits,” Nooroo sighed, “embroidering Fang onto the back of one of Jagged’s jackets. The usual.”

“- And  _ this _ one,” Duusu was saying, showing Adrien a rack of future tour outfits, “was designed by Marinette!”

“Wow,” Adrien said, “Marinette, this is really cool!”

“Wh - oh, thanks,” Marinette said, “it wasn’t really anything big.”

“Oh, come on,” Nooroo said, “am I the only one seeing this?”

“What?” Marinette glanced at the fabric he held in his hands, a purple wool they were using to make the jacket. “What is it?”

“Never mind,” Nooroo huffed, rolling his eyes. “Duusu, get over here, you’re better at embroidery than I am. You and Marinette can work on the embroidery and Adrien and I can cut out some pieces for Jagged’s  _ egg costume.” _ His voice dripped with disdain.

“Ooh, yay,” Duusu said, rushing over to take the fabric from Nooroo, “like one big happy sewing family!”

Marinette grabbed the embroidery threads and needles as Nooroo picked up a large bundle of fabric from a rack, instructing Adrien to grab a couple of sewing shears and a pattern marked “Egg Costume”.

“Is this an actual egg costume?” Adrien’s eyes held a sort of wonder as he watched Nooroo place the fabric on the cutting table.

“Yes,” Nooroo said, “apparently the brilliant M. Stone has decided to make a song about … an egg.”

“I’m sure it’s a metaphor for something,” Duusu said, “like love, or waking up, or something.”

“No,” Nooroo said, “I think it’s just about an egg. A literal egg.”

“Jagged could write a song about almost anything and I’d listen to it,” Marinette said, handing Duusu a needle threaded with dark green.

“If he wanted a metaphor, he could have had a costume with flowing sleeves - or even a sun costume,” Nooroo said, laying out the pattern pieces, “but he wants an  _ egg _ costume. I don’t think it’s that deep.”

“Maybe he’ll write songs about all kinds of foods,” Adrien suggested. “Beef, and baguettes, and - oh, and camembert -”

“No,” Nooroo said, “do not even suggest that. I’ll quit if he makes us make him a cheese outfit.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Adrien said, no longer able to hide his grin, “look on the  _ sunny side.” _

Nooroo stopped moving, lifting his eyes to look at Adrien, who was starting to crack as Duusu and Marinette began giggling.

“I’d forgotten about this,” Nooroo said, reaching for his coffee.

“Aww, don’t tell me you think that was a bad yolk,” Adrien punned.

Nooroo let out a long sigh as the three people around him laughed, a small smile creeping in around the corners of his mouth. “Well, at least I know you don’t feel the need to walk on eggshells around me.”

“Wait,” Adrien gasped, “what if Jagged falls offstage in the egg costume - does that make him Humpty Dumpty?!”

“That’s not a subject we want to ap-poach!”

“The thought of that happening terrifries me!”

Nooroo stood there for a moment before he reached for his coffee and took a sip.

“Is that egg-spresso?” Adrien asked with an innocent smile, sending Marinette and Duusu back into fits of giggles.

“Your jokes aren’t even that egg-septional,” Marinette choked out in between laughs.

“Marinette, you wound me,” Adrien pouted, bringing a hand up to his chest, “I think my yolks are eggs-cellent, and they make you crack up, don’t they?”

“I’m leaving,” Nooroo said, picking up his coffee to take another sip, “I'm going to tell Jagged that this egg costume is not a good idea.”

“Good luck with that,” Duusu said, straightening up, “remember what happened the last time you tried that?”

“That,” Nooroo said, whirling around just slowly enough to save any of his coffee from spilling, “was when he wanted all the dancers to have crocodile hats. This is an egg costume, and those are two totally different realms.”

“Not really,” Duusu argued, “how about the bacon belt? Or the ring-pop shoes? Remember the confetti canon?”

“That one wasn’t even something we should have been in charge of,” Nooroo wailed, “it took four weeks - four! Whole! Weeks! We could have spent those weeks working on the  _ bacon belt!” _ Nooroo sank to his knees with a soft wail, raising his coffee to his lips and drinking deeply.

“Um,” Marinette began as Duusu stepped forward, “is he - is he okay?”

“He gets like this sometimes,” Adrien whispered, moving to stand beside her, “it used to happen when he was working for my dad, too - when he sees something too outlandish to be considered fashion, it gives him the jitters if he thinks about it too much. Coffee is the only way to calm him down, so he can just focus on the actual doing of the thing instead of picturing what the end result’ll be.”

“Most of the time, he and Jagged agree on Jagged’s outfits,” Duusu added, helping Nooroo onto a stool, “but Nooroo is a purist at heart, and he sees the stage as a runway of sorts - and there is no way he’d put something like  _ this _ -” she gestured to where Nooroo was cutting out pattern pieces for the egg costume furiously “- on a runway.”

“Wow,” Marinette said, watching Nooroo slice through the fabric almost too quickly for the naked eye to follow, “okay.”

“It hasn’t happened in a while, though,” Duusu said, “Jagged must have something big planned for his next tour.”

“I’m sure it will be eggs-cellent,” Adrien said in an overly posh accent. Nooroo’s eye twitched slightly.

“Well,” Duusu said as Adrien carefully approached Nooroo to help him cut out the pattern pieces, “shall we, Marinette?” 

“Sure,” Marinette returned, and she and Duusu picked up their needles and began embroidering Jagged’s jacket, all the while keeping an eye on Nooroo.


	5. Dijon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any typos made in this chapter (feel free to point them out to me in the comments) i revised this half-asleep. if all goes according to plan, this work should be entirely complete by summer-ish, but none of my plans really ever work, so no promises. anyways, hope you enjoy!!

Marinette could not stop staring.

They were at dinner, seated at a long table in the back of the restaurant. Well, the interns were seated at the back - the entire crew took up almost the entire restaurant.

Marinette sat beside Reba and Adrien, and across from Plagg, Tikki, and Trixx, the music director. Trixx, like some of his fellow crew members, had coloured hair - he had gone for an ombré effect, his natural brown roots brightening into a vibrant orange at the tips. The strands were long enough for him to tie back into a sleek tail.

As she ate her boeuf bourguignon, Marinette kept sneaking glances down to the other end of the table, where Luka and Vivica were sitting. This didn’t go unnoticed by Reba, who kept gently nudging Marinette’s foot with her own to bring her focus back to the conversation.

“Are you gonna do something, or are you just going to keep staring at him?” Reba asked under her breath.

Marinette sighed. “It’s just hard -”

“What are you whispering about?” Adrien leaned over, joining their conversation with a loud whisper.

“Girl stuff,” Reba said, waving him off.

“I’m great at girl stuff,” Adrien replied.

“My ex is dating someone new and I’m trying to get him back,” Marinette whispered.

Adrien’s brows went up.

“Don’t you believe in the power of true love?” Marinette said, raising her own brows.

Adrien’s brows went back down. “You know, I’m kind of an expert in that.”

“Wait, really?” Reba leaned closer. “How?”

“I got my dad and his assistant together,” Adrien shrugged.

Reba frowned. “You … encouraged your father to have an affair??”

“No!” Adrien protested, “After my mom died -” Reba’s hand flew to her mouth as Marinette’s eyes widened “- my dad was feeling super sad and his assistant was in love with him, so I set them up. It hasn’t worked yet, but I can tell that it’s going to. Eventually.”

“Uh,” Reba said. “Um. I’m … sorry?”

“What?” Adrien’s brows furrowed. “It’s going to work, trust me - it’ll just take some time.”

“I - never mind, uh, good luck,” Reba said, and then she turned to lean her head on Faye’s shoulder.

“Anyways,” Adrien said, “I can help you with your problem. I’m like Cupid, without the wings.”

“Okay,” Marinette said after a pause. Her options were slim, really, and two heads were probably better than one.

That night, Marinette and Adrien sat on the sofa long after the other interns had gone to sleep, plotting.

“You could pull the classic you-have-something-on-your-face and lean in,” Adrien suggested. “Or! When he drops something, go to pick it up for him.”

“Good idea,” Marinette said, scribbling them down in her notebook. “I could try approaching him on the grub bus, at breakfast, when he’s alone.” Vivica liked to sleep in, Marinette had noticed.

So, the next morning, Marinette and Adrien ate breakfast together, watching for when Luka got up to put his plate away.

The brilliant plan played out something like an out-of-tune guitar.

Luka rose from his seat to head to the counter. Marinette also got up, Adrien shooting her a subtle thumbs-up as she walked towards him.

As Adrien watched, Luka set his plate down on the counter and turned to walk off the bus, only to bump into Marinette, who was standing right behind him. Luka tried to take a step back, bumped into the counter, and began to fall. He grabbed onto the closest thing he could find - which happened to be a plate, half-full of eggs.

The plate went flying, eggs soared through the air, and as Marinette reached out to try and help him - or maybe pluck some egg out of his hair - she tripped over a barstool and went crashing down as well.

Adrien winced. In a booth nearby, the twins were laughing as Reba and Faye wore matching looks of horror.

Marinette and Luka got up, covered in eggs. Nearby were the shattered remains of the plate.

“You have a little something -” Marinette began, but Luka was already storming off the bus.

“Okay,” Adrien said that night, “maybe we should try something else.”

“Nothing fake-clumsy,” Marinette said, “that increases my real clumsiness.”

“Hmm, what about this,” Adrien said, “you said your family are bakers, right? What if you made something for him?”

“He won’t take it,” Marinette said glumly, “he’s been avoiding me, remember?”

“Make something for all the interns, then,” Adrien suggested, “then he’ll be more likely to take it, right?”

So the next day, Marinette spent her evening making passion fruit macarons on the catering bus. The chef was more than happy to let her into the kitchen once he got wind of who she was, and even offered to help.

The next day, Marinette arranged the macarons on a tray and carried them onto the intern bus. She offered them to everyone, including the bus driver, M. Fu.

“Ooh, macarons!”

“These are delicious!”

“Thanks, Marinette!”

By the time Vivica and Luka tentatively approached, there was only one macaron left. Marinette watched as Luka picked it up, split it in half, and offered the other half to Vivica. They linked arms as they popped their halves into their mouth.

“At this rate, I’ll never get him back,” Marinette groaned.

“Don’t worry,” Adrien said, “I’m like Cupid without the wings, remember? Trust me, this is gonna work for sure.”

“You said you haven’t gotten your father and his assistant together yet,” Marinette deadpanned.

“ _ Yet,” _ Adrien emphasised. “And trust me, I’m going to match you up with your true love - I  _ am, _ don’t give me that look!”

“ _ Fine,” _ Marinette sighed, flopping back onto the sofa. “But this better work!”

“It will, it will,” Adrien said, looking over the notebook again. “... I think, at least.”   
  
Marinette let out another groan, letting her head fall back so she could stare at the ceiling of the bus.


	6. Chanbéry

It seemed that no matter what plan Adrien and Marinette came up with, nothing worked. Faye and Reba watched as they tried plan after plan, all of them failing. Adrien and Marinette kept planning, but Vivica and Luka seemed no less in love.

“I can’t believe that didn’t work,” Adrien said. It was late at night, the tour buses transporting everyone to the next location. Adrien and Marinette were awake, sitting in the common area long after the other interns had gone to bed.

“It was pretty genius,” Marinette agreed, sitting on the sofa next to him. “What’s next?”

Adrien stared down at the notebook they had filled with plans to get Marinette and Luka back together. “Um - we don’t have any more plans.”

“Oh,” Marinette said.

“Yeah.” Adrien set the notebook down on the table. “Maybe I’m not your Cupid, after all - sorry, Marinette.”

“It’s not your fault,” she sighed, leaning against the back of the couch. “We tried our best - maybe it’s time for me to move on.”

“Sometimes things don’t work out, I guess,” Adrien said, and Marinette looked over at him to find the blond peering down at his hands with a look of faraway confusion in his eyes.

“What’s on your mind?” Marinette reached out and gently poked his shoulder, and Adrien turned his gaze towards her.

“Marinette, have I ever told you the real reason why I signed up for this internship?”

“Uh, I don’t think so?” Marinette watched as Adrien let his head fall against the back of the couch, almost close enough to touch the rattling window.

“My first time interning for Jagged was last summer,” Adrien began, and Marinette settled into a more comfortable position, sitting sideways so she was facing him. “He’s always been an artist I’ve admired, so when my Chinese tutor told me about the opportunity, I looked it up right away. At first, Father didn’t want me to go.” Adrien kept his eyes firmly on the ceiling as he spoke. “But then Kagami broke up with me - Kagami was my girlfriend.” He started waving his hand in the air but then let it flop onto the sofa again. “She was my first girlfriend, and her mother was in business with Father, so he thought it might be better for everyone if I went on tour with Jagged for the summer.”

“I’m sorry, Adrien,” Marinette said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“It was a long time ago,” Adrien said, finally turning to look at her again. “But we just weren’t meant to be.”

“Sometimes things don’t work out like that,” Marinette mused.

“Plagg and Tikki did, though,” Adrien said, and Marinette nodded.

“Yeah. Plagg would give up cheese for her, I think.”

“What?” Adrien bolted upright. “Are you kidding me? He loves his cheese!”

“And Tikki loves her sweets, but she’d give them up for Plagg, I’d bet,” Marinette said.

“I would like to find someone like that for me,” Adrien sighed, relaxing into the sofa again.

“Me, too,” Marinette agreed, leaning her head on Adrien’s shoulder.

“Hey, you wanna make a marriage pact?” Adrien said.

“A what?”

“You know, like in the American movies - two people promise to get married to each other if neither of them are married by, like, 30.” Adrien shrugged, his shoulder moving Marinette’s head up and down.

“Huh,” Marinette said, pondering the idea. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” Adrien said. They sat in silence for a few more minutes as the bus rolled on.

“Hey, Adrien?”

“Hm?”

“Did you have a dog growing up?”

“No, Father never let me. Why?”

“I don’t know,” Marinette shrugged, “you just seem like the kind of person who would have had a dog growing up.”

“Nope,” Adrien said, “I’m more of a hamster kind of person. But Father never let me have one of those, either.”

“I’m a hamster person, too,” Marinette remarked, “but I could never have one because of the bakery.”

“What bakery?” Adrien asked, and Marinette felt him rest his head against hers.

“My family owns a bakery,” Marinette told him.

“Oh, wow,” Adrien said, “that sounds so warm and cosy.” and then, completely unprompted, “Marinette?”

“Hmm?”

“If you were a bread, what kind of bread would you be?”

“Probably a macaron,” Marinette said. “What about you?”

“I think I’d like to be a croissant,” Adrien said, pausing to consider the question. They lapsed into silence once more.

“Adrien?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for trying to help me out with Luka, even though it didn’t work out.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”

“It’s okay. Hey, did you ever get your dad and your assistant together?”

“I’m still working on it,” Adrien said, “but I’ll get them together eventually. They’ll work out, I can just feel it.”

“Your track record as a Cupid is pretty abysmal, huh?” Marinette giggled.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Adrien said around a yawn.

“Maybe we should go to bed.”

“Maybe we should.” Adrien got up first, offering Marinette his hand to help her do the same.

“Goodnight, Adrien,” Marinette said, handing him the notebook.

“Goodnight, Marinette,” Adrien said, “thanks for being my friend.”

And as Marinette entered the girls’ bunks that night, she didn’t stop to look at Vivica’s bunk.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, comments and constructive crit are greatly appreciated!
> 
> any questions you may have about the lore of this AU can be asked in the comments and I will do my best to answer without any spoilers.
> 
> updates on this work have been paused indefinitely. Thank you for your patience.


End file.
